


The Blonde Witch Project

by UppityBitch



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-03 21:23:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14005053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UppityBitch/pseuds/UppityBitch
Summary: Caroline is a New Orleans witch who runs a magic shop that caters to a very select clientele. It’s a case of the “customer is always an asshat” when a smug hybrid stops by to purchase spell ingredients.





	1. Double, Double Toil and Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a one-shot in my Klaroline series, A Beautiful Symmetry. I decided to expand it into a few more chapters; I hope you enjoy it! The new material starts in Chapter 2.

_All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind_  
Would you stay if she promised to you heaven?  
Will you ever win?

— Fleetwood Mac, “Rhiannon”

 

* * *

 

            It turns out that dried troll livers, no matter how shriveled, will still leak acid when you drop them. Caroline groaned as she watched a handful of the rust-colored, wrinkled organs tumble off the quartz counter and fall to the floor with a series of stomach-churning splats and an audible hiss. With a muttered charm, she summoned the wet-dry vacuum from the back of the shop. While she ordered the mess to be cleaned, she stretched, hearing several angry clicks along her lower back. She really should have asked Enzo for help unloading those massive tubs of melanoma remover, but he had been really excited to leave the shop early and go on his first official date with Bonnie, so Caroline hadn’t wanted to detain him.

            As a witch in New Orleans, Caroline had gotten fed up with inferior occult shops who catered to tourists and constantly had the more exotic spell ingredients on back order, so she finally opened her own shop several decades ago. By design, she operated in the shadows, upon hushed whispers and knowing winks her business flourished. The entrance to her magic shop was cleverly hidden inside what appeared to be a broken down old crypt near the back of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. She cheekily called her shop _Grave Matters_ and despite the unconventional location, her reputation for discretion and possessing the most comprehensive selection of spell ingredients in the world ensured her success.  

            The chorus to Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” alerted her to a client in the store’s lobby. She headed down the corridor, enjoying the pleasant hum of magic in the air from the spacious design she had created with the help of her talented coven. As she stepped inside the lobby to find Klaus Mikaelson, she mentally congratulated herself for having the forethought to put up a protection barrier that activated the moment a client stepped across the threshold. While she’d never met the Original before, the volatile hybrid’s reputation preceded him. She could feel power emanating from his aura, and if he didn’t agree to her shop’s rules, she suspected her refusal to do business with him would be somewhat problematic.

            “Welcome, Klaus Mikaelson. I’m Caroline,” she said, inwardly wincing at the breathlessness of her voice as she took in his unexpectedly appealing package. _Good grief, nothing that dangerous should ever look that good._ She was so distracted, she nearly crossed the magical barrier and had to quickly jerk her foot back.

            Klaus took in her rigid posture and hasty movements and a playful smirk slid across his handsome face. “You’ve heard of me, excellent. Am I to assume that this protection barrier is meant for me and my somewhat prickly reputation then?”

            She rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Please. I cater to a rather exclusive clientele. You’re hardly the most dangerous creature to wander in here. All of my clients are expected to agree to my rules before we can do business. Once you agree, the barrier is lifted — but not the security enchantments.”

            “I’m afraid I’m not much for rules, love. But I can assure you, if you make an exception, I’m _definitely_ worth your while,” he smoothly said, momentarily forgetting the barrier as he attempted to reach out to play with one of her wayward blonde curls. The zap of her protection spell singed his fingertips, causing him to emit a growl that seemed to be more embarrassment than pain.

            Barely managing to contain her giggles, Caroline said wryly, “Yeah, _no_. My shop, my rules. Rule number one: You have to relinquish your supernatural powers while you are inside the store. Rule number two: You have to sign your name so that I can divine your true intentions with the spell ingredients you wish to purchase from me.” She watched with a bored expression as Klaus’ face contorted in the standard series of emotions many of her clients went through upon hearing her rules: disbelief, outrage, stubborn refusal, pompous asshat, etc.

            “Are you out of your bloody mind,” he seethed, black veins appearing underneath his eyes that now glowed with a hint of furious gold.

            Caroline crossed her arms in front of her, glaring at her rude client. “Your choice, Klaus. But make up your mind soon, please. I have a cauldron full of mustard brambles and fairy wings that requires counter-clockwise stirring precisely every 52 minutes. So, tick tock.”

            Seeming to weigh his clearly deep-rooted paranoia against his obvious desire for rare spell ingredients, Klaus finally grumbled petulantly, “Bloody hell, fine.”

            Rubbing her hands together, she whispered the incantation that stripped the hybrid’s powers, leaving him immortal, but without his superior strength, speed or fangs. A pearlescent ball of light floated in front of Caroline before vanishing in a wisp of white smoke. “Once our business is concluded, I’ll fetch your powers from my vault and restore them,” Caroline promised.

            Klaus eyed her warily, seeming to feel vulnerable and uncomfortable in his own skin. A scrap of parchment and a silver fountain pen appeared before his startled gray eyes, and he regarded the objects suspiciously before he hurriedly signed his name with a growl.

            With a flick of her wrist, the parchment shot into her palm, and as she traced the strong, commanding curvatures of his signature, the letters burned red. Satisfied, she nodded to herself, removing the invisible protection barrier with an impatient wave. “Follow me,” she told him, turning on her heel and leading him down the corridor to one of the main workrooms. _Good grief, did he always smell this good?_ She detected hints of spice and orange along with the gritty-but-seductive earthy fragrance that all wolves seemed to carry. The normal iron smell that flavored a vampire’s aura was barely perceptible on him. Interesting. She briefly wondered if all hybrids smelled this way, but put quickly that thought away as she knew better than to go looking for trouble. _And delicious-smelling Klaus and his hybrids were definitely trouble_.

            She gestured to one of the tall swivel chairs along one side of a long concrete countertop. As Klaus settled into the chair, she headed around the other side of the counter near a wall of seemingly endless wooden shelves.

            “So, you’re here to buy ingredients for a locator spell for one of the doppelgangers, Katerina Petrova, as she has stolen the cure from Silas,” Caroline said briskly, trying to recall if Enzo had finished cataloguing the latest shipment of arnica.

            Making an impressed noise, Klaus cocked an eyebrow, asking, “You learned all those details from merely touching my signature?”

            Her blue eyes twinkling merrily, she answered, “Well, that and your brother, Kol, plays mahjong with my friends at the retirement community over on Magazine Street every Tuesday.” She giggled as she confessed to the surprised hybrid, “Ida Mae, Myrtle and Lisette are a rowdy bunch, so Kol fits in quite nicely.”

            Klaus studied her carefully. “You have friends in a retirement community, yet you appear to be quite young. How long have you been practicing your craft, sweetheart?”

            She let out a surprised laugh, lightly smacking his hand. “Shame on you! You know better than to ask a lady her age!”

            Amused, he seemed to drink in her soft ivory skin and gleaming curls, his gray eyes darkening slightly as he said, “My apologies. I do prefer a woman with a few secrets.”

            She refused to shiver at the sexy drawl of his words. Trying to steer the conversation away from what she considered a dangerous flirtation, she said, “Speaking of secrets, did you know about your brother’s slightly alarming _Golden Girls’_ fetish? He can turn almost any conversation into something he saw on an episode. He also keeps insisting he’s the Blanche of my group even though he’s _clearly_ Rose.” She smiled brightly, only barely resisting the urge to hum a few bars of the _Golden Girls_ theme song. She added, “Not that I blame him — everyone wants to be Blanche. But I’ve made my peace with forever being the Dorothy of any group.”

            Klaus chuckled, his shoulders relaxing as he clearly started to feel more comfortable with Caroline despite the temporary loss of his powers. “I always found Dorothy’s brashness quite attractive,” he flirted, tipping her a saucy wink.

            Caroline snorted. “Kol was right — you are _so_ a Sophia.”

            Sitting up a bit straighter, Klaus asked curiously, “What else has Kol told you about me?”

            Tucking a curl behind her ear, she grinned. “Well, he did tell us about the first time you milked a goat and how milk flew everywhere and soaked your trousers. And then the whole village called you _brusi m_ _íg_ , which means _urinating he-goat_.”

            Flushing slightly, Klaus said defensively, “That wasn’t me! It was Finn!”

            At her skeptical expression, he muttered, “Perhaps it was Elijah then.” Flustered, he tugged on the leather cords around his neck, the various charms jingling slightly.

            “Of course it was,” she said, smoothly changing the subject as she gestured toward the rows of shelves behind her. “Now, about this locator spell. I have some experience with several variations, so let me pull ingredients that have the highest success rate and we’ll go from there.”

            She saw the way his eyes widened in surprise as he took in the labels of some of the more unusual glass jars on the shelves behind her — _angst of 90s grunge music_ , _optimism of millennials_ , _Mick Jagger’s ego_ , _Meryl Streep’s talent_ , and a tiny jar with a biohazard label marked _sweetbreads of D. Salvatore_. She chewed on her nail as she examined a couple of potential ingredients, mentally weighing their potency in locator spells. She carefully brushed past a jar smeared with orange powder with the lid slightly askew, labeled _Curse of 2016_ and pulled down a long, fossilized canine tooth. She carefully wrapped the item in soft linen, placing it in a dark purple satchel.

            “It’s such a shame saber-toothed tigers are extinct; they must have been magnificent beasts,” Klaus commented, the apparent awe in his voice making him seem younger somehow.

            His boy-like wonder touched something within Caroline, but she stubbornly ignored the butterflies that she felt. She smiled secretively and replied, “Yes...extinct. That’s what happened. They definitely _did not_ wander into an interdimensional wormhole a newbie warlock accidentally left open.”

            She tucked away a grin at his bewildered face and climbed up a wooden ladder next to the shelves to grab the rest of the locator spell ingredients. She came back down with an armload full of wiry sasquatch hair, two jars of consecrated earth from Stonehenge, and mulled wine found in a clay jar in a cave beside the Dead Sea. She carefully wrapped the objects, muttering a spell to ensure they would all fit securely within the purple satchel.

            She had just opened a container of arnica to dice when Klaus interrupted her. “Wouldn’t red clover be a better match than arnica in a locator spell, sweetheart? It has inherent properties of luck and is known to pierce protection spells.”

            Caroline rolled her eyes. Why did everyone assume they could do her job better than her just because they had a passing familiarity with Harry Potter books? In a light tone with just a hint of bite, she explained, “Red clover is the favorite plant of the fae. It’s used to gain their sight and give you visions of the fae realm. So, unless you’re chasing Tinkerbell, leave the ingredient gathering to the professionals, hmmm?”

            Klaus’ gray eyes flashed at her words, but they were far from threatening. If anything, he seemed more intrigued than ever by Caroline and leaned closer to her as she began dicing the arnica. The bright yellow petals gave the appearance that she was chopping bits of sunshine. He asked, “Then tell me why arnica is the superior ingredient for my locator spell?”

            The corners of her pink lips lifted as she heard the earnestness in his voice. He seemed the type to enjoy a good chase, but she liked how he appeared to be willing to put in a bit of effort first. She hadn’t decided yet if she’d play along fully — after all, she had other obligations and reasons for wanting to avoid him after this encounter, but she couldn’t help but wonder about the possibilities... Shaking her head slightly, she favored him with a smile as she explained, “Arnica was strewn along the midsummer wheat fields to prevent the grain’s restorative properties from escaping. It is said the goddess Freya infused the herb with her power. It’s basically magical LoJack.”

            Seemingly impressed by her knowledge, he allowed her to continue working in peace, occasionally catching her eye and giving her a flirtatious smile full of promise. After he paid for his ingredients, she walked him back to the lobby. She also restored his supernatural powers as promised, leaning in to give him a brief hug and a gentle kiss on his dimpled cheek. She allowed herself a few blissful moments to breathe in his intoxicating aroma, enjoying the way he rumbled lowly in his chest as she pressed against his muscular body. As she pulled away, he looked at her questioningly. She grinned and said, “It’s for luck with your locator spell. I hope you find what you seek.”

            “I may have unexpectedly found something I didn’t know I was missing, love,” he said with a saucy wink, making her feel hot and cold all at once as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

            Caroline smiled and said cheekily, “Well, it’s not going anywhere.”

            He leaned closer, their noses almost touching as he whispered hoarsely, “Good.” Before she could speak, he flashed out of the shop, leaving her to ponder the often unexpectedly messy ways of the world.

            Taking a breath, she pulled out her phone, pressing the familiar icon of an old contact. When her call was answered, she advised, “Everything went smoothly. I convinced him to substitute arnica instead of red clover in the locator spell — he’ll never find you.” She dug in her pocket, pulling out one of the leather necklaces she swiped from Klaus when she was giving him a hug. “I also obtained something that should give your protection spell a boost. No need to thank me, Katerina. After all, what are friends for?”

 

 

 


	2. Fire Burn

“She held me spellbound in the night  
Dancing shadows and firelight”

— _Witchy Woman,_ The Eagles

 

* * *

 

            After all this time, the stench of sulphur still stung her nostrils, but Caroline was relieved to learn that it no longer made her immediately want to vomit. Hellhounds always carried the overwhelming sulphur odor whenever they ventured topside, making it fairly easy to track them if necessary. She let out a piercing whistle, loudly rustling a bag of peanut butter cookies from the boutique pet bakery her friend Matt ran. Having been raised in New Orleans, he was no stranger to the supernatural, and he baked several dinner plate-sized cookies for her once she explained that she needed them to catch a hellhound.

            The foul odor of dog breath washed over her as the enormous dog slipped out of the shadows of the cypress trees, nipping playfully at several gnarled tree roots before it sat in front of her expectantly. Humming pleasantly, she held out one of the cookies, its feral eyes glowing a ruby red as it began whining and salivating. She quickly conjured a plastic jar directly underneath its heavy jowls, not wanting to miss a single drop. Once she had the hellhound’s attention, she patiently fed him all of the gigantic cookies, giggling as it slid its warm, rough tongue along her forearm trying catch any stray crumbs. With one final, affectionate pat on its thick, black fur, Caroline sent the hellhound on his way, popping the lid back on the overflowing jar.

            “What a peculiar way to spend a Friday night, love,” a smug, accented voice drawled behind her, startling her. Klaus. _He was back_.

            Caroline did her best to appear casual, trying to slow the hammering of her heart as she took in the strong, beautiful lines of Klaus’ body as they practically glowed in the silver moonlight. “Not so peculiar if you run an occult shop and realized you’re almost out of hellhound saliva,” she answered breezily, reminding herself to blink occasionally.

            Grimacing slightly as his gray eyes followed her fingers as they shook the overflowing jar, he replied, “What possible use is canine drool to you?”

            “First of all, it’s _supernatural_ canine drool,” she scoffed, carefully setting the jar inside her bag as she eyed him warily. During their last encounter, she’d purposely sold him a fake locator spell because she had no interest in compromising her friend Katerina’s safety, regardless of how attractive she found this megalomaniac’s dimples. By his flirtatious manner, she decided he still hadn’t figured out his spell was as useless as mermaid scales on a centaur. _Good_. “And second, hellhound saliva, mixed with the right ingredients, can imbue the conjurer with some of the creature’s most admirable traits, from superior speed to shifting into a cloak of mist. It’s incredibly potent and worth every second you have to spend in a humid bayou to collect it.”

            His lips quirked at her explanation. “Still, it’s an impressive feat that you were able to lure a hellhound away from its soul-collecting duties,” he observed, his accent becoming more pronounced as he teased her.

            “Not really,” she explained, “New Orleans is packed with bluesman who’ve either sold their souls and their contracts are up or hopeful wannabes desperate to enter into a soul contract to be discovered.” Shrugging, she added, “Hellhounds are drawn to them — Bluesmen might as well be giant peanut butter cookies.”

            Klaus let out a delighted chuckle, gazing at her warmly as he teased, “There’s that clever enchantress I missed while I was on my fruitless quest.”

            She resisted the urge to flinch at the way he referred to the useless locator spell, wondering at what point he would blame her and demand an explanation. Instead, she redirected his focus with, “I refuse to believe I made that much of an impression on _you_ , Klaus. Kol loves to wax poetic about the crazy, womanizing boys’ nights you’ve had over the years.” Raising an eyebrow, she added, “I don’t care that you’re immortal — you’d still need to shower in Lysol before even _thinking_ about asking me out.”

            Smirking down at her, he acknowledged, “I’ll keep that in mind, love. Although I’m delighted to hear that you’ve considered the possibility of seeing me socially.” Leaning close enough that she could detect his signature scent of spice with the hint of orange, he whispered seductively, “I would hate to think that I was the only one affected by the unexpected sparks of our previous encounter, sweetheart.”     

            Feeling her cheeks flush, Caroline lowered her lashes, toying with the strings of her woven shoulder bag. “There _may_ have been some sparks, but that day I also had a cauldron full of mustard brambles and fairy wings bubbling that has been known to induce euphoria, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Klaus.”

            Dimples cutting into his cheeks, Klaus slyly answered, “Duly noted, love. However, I somehow doubt it was mere pixie dust that kept diverting my attention from hunting down the elusive doppelganger and instead had me thinking of the golden curls and quick wit of a no-nonsense shopkeeper. I would very much like to get to know her better, perhaps as we stroll about Algiers tomorrow night, listening to the jazz music of the neighborhood coven’s pact?”

            “You know about that,” she asked in surprise. Algiers was the second-oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, and home to a coven of witches who devoted much of their energies to playing jazz music enchanted to bind the murderous spirit of the Axeman of New Orleans, preventing him from wreaking further havoc on innocents as he did in the early 1900s.

            “It’s a fascinating bit of local history; made all the more intriguing when one is aware of the supernatural forces at work,” Klaus said, his voice taking on an unexpected shyness as he asked, “Would you care to join me, Caroline?”

            She savored the way her name tumbled from his lips in that delicious accent of his. Feeling her heart race, she favored him with a small smile. “It just so happens I’m a fan of jazz.”

* * *

 

            The cursed chicken hand was mocking Caroline. Damn it — she wasn’t going to get any points with the tiles she was holding. She glared across the table at Kol, whose mischievous grin seemed to deepen as though he realized Caroline had drawn a losing hand.

            They had settled in for their weekly game of mahjong with Caroline’s friends at the retirement community on Magazine Street. Ida Mae, Myrtle, and Lisette were a rowdy bunch and often it was hard to tell who was the bad influence — the thousand-year-old vampire who seemed to have invented pranks or the boozy, bitchy grandmas whose dirty jokes had been known to leave Kol equal parts envious and speechless. Like that story about why denture cream should _never_ be used as lube...

            “With a grin like that, our boy’s either got a winning hand or he’s just filled his drawers,” Lisette wryly said, impatiently shoving her empty martini glass at the Original to refill. Ida Mae and Myrtle tittered, clinking their glasses as they slyly tried to peek at Kol’s tiles when he wasn’t paying attention.

            “Darling, if you wanted to take a peek at my drawers, you just need to ask,” he replied cheekily, topping off everyone’s martinis.

            Rolling her eyes, Caroline told him, “Oh, please. You’re commando all the way because you’re still trying to pretend you’re the Blanche of our little group.” In a stage whisper, she teased, “And everyone knows you’ll _always_ be the Rose.”

            “You take that back,” Kol gasped, his voice mock-offended. Wiggling his eyebrows at the group, he mused, “Speaking of _commando_ , that reminds me of the Golden Girls episode when they accidentally went to the nudist resort.” At his all-too-familiar words, the women groaned, knowing what was coming next. “I still say Rose knew the whole time when she booked them at that scandalous lodge. Such a sly little minx,” he trailed off nostalgically.

            Making a disgusted noise, Caroline selected a tile, adding it to the wall and making note of her meager points. “You say that about everyone, Kol,” she grumbled.

            “Yeah, but in _your_ case, I mean it, darling,” he replied with a wink. “So when is your big date with my brother, hmm?”

            Lisette scoffed, mumbling as she hauled out an overflowing purse with bright pink and orange flowers. “After all those nasty stories Kol has told us plus everything we’ve learned, you’re _still_ stepping out with that naughty hybrid? That’s it — you’re going to refill my heart pills; I already feel my blood pressure rising, little Carebear.” She tossed the almost empty bottle at Caroline with a scowl.

            “Seriously?! How do you even know about that, Kol,” Caroline asked, nodding at Lisette as she tucked away the pill bottle to refill later. She had to force herself to keep a straight face as she watched Ida Mae distract Kol by ruffling his hair and pinching his cheeks so that Myrtle could stealthily switch out some of her losing tiles with a few of Kol’s higher value ones.

            “Because Nik is a bigger gossip than even you lovely ladies and won’t shut up about getting the feisty little shopkeeper to agree to go on a date,” he answered, frowning when he looked back at his tiles. Muttering to himself, he seemed to be counting them in his head, glancing suspiciously at Ida Mae and Myrtle.

            Throwing back her martini in one big gulp, Lisette cautioned, “I don’t know, little Carebear, back in my day, a respectable lady wouldn’t be seen with the likes of such a blackguard.”

            “I haven’t heard that insult in ages, darling. You’re quite the old-fashioned girl, aren’t you,” Kol asked Lisette with a cheeky grin.

            Caroline joined Lisette as she began to giggle, answering with a wink, “You have no idea, Kol.” She watched her friends with a warm smile, appreciating their concerns about Klaus, but feeling like she had everything under control. _Probably_.


	3. And Caldron Bubble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your reviews! Also, thank you for asking me to expand my short story; it gave me the opportunity to revisit this fun universe and expand on it! Here’s the final chapter in this story; I’m excited to hear what you think!

_“I’ve got a black magic woman_

_Got me so blind I can't see_

_That she's a black magic woman_

_She's trying to make a devil out of me.”_ — Carlos Santana

* * *

 

 

            The serial killer’s apparition was a surprisingly lively dancer. Caroline and Klaus watched in fascination as The Axeman of New Orleans, one of the earliest documented serial killers in the U.S., swung his ghostly limbs in enthusiastic arcs in time to the lively jazz music that poured out onto the streets. They were in the Algiers neighborhood, where the local coven made a pact to bind the murderous spirit by playing enchanted jazz music every evening. Their selfless magical service not only protected their community, but also filled the neighborhood with an invigorating energy that made the air sizzle with power.  

            Caroline tilted her head back, momentarily closing her eyes as she allowed the ageless, sultry voice of Ella Fitzgerald wash over her. So lost in the melody, Klaus took her by surprise with the warmth of his touch, running his fingers up and down her bare arm until he grasped her hand in his, slowly twirling her in the middle of the brick-lined street.

            As she felt the soft ruffles of her skirt flutter around her, she opened her eyes to find him staring at her, an uncharacteristic softness upon his handsome face. “It’s been ages since I’ve been over here; it’s just as wonderful as I remember,” she told him, watching in childlike fascination as the coven’s special brand of magic breathed new life into the jazz lyrics, giving the musical notes a tangible form as they danced upon the night air in brilliant, colorful swirls.

            Klaus ducked his curly head, leaning in close to whisper, “Thank you for joining me, sweetheart.” He twirled her again, pivoting her body until it pressed firmly against his. Her heart stuttered as she realized their hips moved together as one, finding the unique pulse of the music and turning it a sizzling rhythm that only they could follow.

            _This was dangerous_. _You’re on opposite sides_. She impatiently shoved those traitorous thoughts away, wanting to revel in the moment before cold, hard reality came crashing down. When the music transformed into Louis Armstrong’s fiery trumpet playing, the sensual mood deepened, and Caroline swore her skin was set ablaze.

            Gold flared in Klaus’ gaze, and she allowed herself to be pulled into a seductive, fiery kiss that made her want to beg for more. She breathed in his familiar scent of spice and orange, hoping it would linger on her skin, marking her. _Damn it. She was getting in way too deep_.

            With a groan of frustration, Caroline pulled away, giving him a sad smile as she took a small step back. “If this is really happening, I need to go into it with my eyes open. And we need to have an understanding.” She quickly held up her hand as he furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to interrupt. “We both have secrets. It’s unrealistic for creatures like us not to have accumulated a few over the years. And I don’t expect that to change — some secrets are meant to be kept.”

            Klaus’ face turned serious as he listened to her, seeming to carefully weigh her words against his own internal dialogue. He nodded, telling her, “Very astute, love.”

            Caroline’s blue eyes turned hard as she took a breath, holding it in her chest until it nearly burst out of her. She harshly told him, “Katerina is my friend. I won’t give her up to you or anyone else.” She straightened her spine, steeling herself for his infamous temper. She hated the way her heart sank at the possibility of her revelation destroying everything that had started between them.

            What she wasn’t prepared for was the way Klaus suddenly threw back his curly head, laughter bubbling from his throat until he nearly choked. When he spied her bewildered expression, it seemed to further fuel his amusement, and it wasn’t until he was wiping away tears that he was able to regain control. Finally, he explained in a voice still rough from laughter, “Why do you think I approached you to begin with, sweetheart? I was curious to see the depths of your loyalty to the elusive doppelganger. I must admit, you’ve impressed me immensely with the strength of your heart.”

            She didn’t care how her mouth flopped open as she tried to jumpstart her brain into catching up to Klaus’ surprising reaction. _Klaus knew she was protecting Katerina?!_ As she processed what it all meant, she came to an unpleasant realization. “So you’ve been using me this whole time,” she concluded harshly. Gesturing wildly toward the colorful music notes floating in the night air, she hated how the colors suddenly seemed too garish, too ugly. “That’s what all this was about, then? Biding your time with me until you figured out where my friend was so you could kill her?!”

            Gray eyes widening, he stepped toward her, his tone desperate as he protested, “No! I’ve no interest in hurting you, love. From the moment we met, you ignited something in me and I just want to know you...and for you to know me.”

            “Seriously?! You just expect me to believe that,” Caroline scoffed, rolling her eyes.

            Growling in frustration, Klaus explained, “After I met you and had a chance to mull things over, I decided to alter my plans. I no longer desire Katerina’s death.” At her derisive snort, he added wryly, “Actually, I’d like you to broker a deal between me and your friend. I will grant her freedom in exchange for the cure she stole from Silas.”

            “Ha! Like I’d ever believe you. You’ve hunted her for centuries — there’s no way you’d give up your revenge for me,” she angrily accused him.

            A hopeful gleam appeared in his eyes as he grabbed her hands, his tone uncharacteristically hesitant as he told her, “You don’t have to take me at my word, love. When we first met, you used your magic to divine my true intentions from my signature, remember?”

            Caroline felt her cheeks warm as he recounted so many details from that first encounter. _Maybe...he was telling the truth?_ With a flick of her wrist, a piece of parchment and a silver pen materialized between them. She had to bite her lip to keep from giggling at how eagerly he grabbed the pen and scribbled his name with several flamboyant flourishes and scandalous eyebrow wiggling.

            As the parchment shot into her hand, she admired the powerful curvature of his signature once more, the letters burning red as she allowed her magic to flow through her to parse his true intentions. She blinked in surprise as wave after wave of intense emotions hit her, and she could feel his heart’s desire. _It was her_. Tentative at first, she’d intrigued him with her supernatural knowledge, charmed him with her flirty banter, and soon he was bargaining with himself, weighing his obsession for revenge on Katerina with the potential connection he could have with Caroline. _Everything he said was true_.

            Swallowing hard, Caroline glanced at him, the warmth from his gaze making her breath catch. “Um, okay then. I’ll uh, get started organizing this supernatural peace summit.” Giddy at the prospect of finally securing her old friend’s freedom (not to mention exploring this sizzling attraction between her and the persistent hybrid. Raising up on her tiptoes, she lightly kissed him on his dimpled cheek, reminding them both of the first time they met.      

            As they broke apart, Klaus suddenly touched his familiar collection of necklaces, smirking. “Last time, I learned you’re a bit of a pickpocket, love. Any chance I can have back the necklace you stole?”

            Grinning up at him, she replied, “I’ll see what I can do.”

* * *

 

            _She_ _should’ve never bet on the largest alligator_. That was a rookie mistake — bigger rarely meant faster — and this was the fifth Alligator Derby she’d attended at her friends’ retirement community. Every year, the local wildlife preserve brought over a dozen alligators and hosted a mock ‘Kentucky Derby’, complete with gambling odds on the outcome of the race. It was a fun charity event, and the generous proceeds allowed the wildlife preserve to continuously expand their facilities.

            After helping a tipsy Ida Mae and Myrtle back to their suites after the celebration, Caroline and Lisette giggled as they made their way back to Lisette’s for another round of mint juleps. Lisette took a delicate sip from her straw, casually setting her oversized sunhat on the granite countertop. “Well, little Carebear, should we discuss terms?”

            With an impish grin, Caroline answered wryly, “We know the terms, old friend. And we’ll need to throw in his necklace. Apparently, he misses it.”

            “Fine,” Lisette grumbled good-naturedly, carefully unknotting her mauve silk scarf to reveal a worn leather cord with a silver medallion scored with ancient runes. With a wicked smile, she unclasped Klaus’ stolen necklace, breaking the powerful glamour spell that Caroline had crafted.

            Lisette’s cheerful, elderly visage disappeared, and the eternally youthful and alluring Katerina Petrova emerged with a sly smile. She shook out her signature brunette curls, running her fingers through them as she sighed happily, “That’s better. While it’s a bitch being stuck in a granny glamour spell, at least you made me the hottest geriatric here.”

            With a delighted chuckle, Caroline raised her tumbler to toast her friend. “You’re the hottest geriatric anywhere, Katerina. Although I’m curious to see how this affects our mahjong buddy’s crush on you once Kol realizes he can’t pursue his _Golden Girls_ fetish anymore.”  

            They dissolved into laughter, feeling lighter and more carefree than they had in ages. Caroline had secured Katerina’s freedom and somehow managed to start a whole new adventure of her own with a scandalously sexy hybrid. _She would never understand the unexpected, wonderfully messy ways of the world_.  

* * *

 

            Klaus greeted Caroline with a toe-curling kiss, lifting her off her feet and gently swinging her in a circle as she clung to him. As she broke their fiery kiss, she rested her forehead against his, panting slightly as she asked, “Is that how you always greet the messenger?”

            A hint of gold appeared in his heated gaze as he teased, “Only if they bring me good news, sweetheart.”

            “Dick,” she said fondly, lightly smacking his chest. “But you’re right — I’ve brokered the deal with Katerina.”

            He ducked his head to quickly kiss her, smirking as he asked, “So, love, where in the deepest, most remote part of the world have you been hiding Katerina?”

            Caroline answered with a sly smile, “Yeah...so here’s the thing...”


End file.
